Got Milk?

Our young testers rated their picks for the best boxed and bottled milks, plus lactose-free versions, tooThe Editors

W
ith all the boxed and bottled drinks on the market these days, it's hard to know just what to put in your kids' lunchboxes (or your own, for that matter). Something with a lot of calcium and without a lot of sugar seems wise, so with that in mind, we again invited some young panelists to taste various types of milk  cow, soy, rice, and even goat  and give us their expert opinions. Most of these are ultra-pasteurized, so they don't require refrigeration, and they're all sized to travel. Here are the kids' tasting notes, plus nutritional info, on nine portable potables.

Farmland Lil' Milk 2% Reduced Fat Milk

Serving Size: 8 fluid ounces
Calories: 130
Total Fat: 5 g
Cholesterol: 20 mg
Sugars: 12 g
Protein: 8 g
Calcium: 30% DV
Comments: Farmland Dairies has taken over operation of Parlamat in the U.S., so "Lil' Milk" now carries the Farmland seal, rather than Parlamat's. The milk inside the cartons is the same and still requires no refrigeration. Gabriel Camas, 7, and Martin Camas, 12, said this one tastes like "plain old milk," while William Steel, 8, detected a chemical flavor and thought the consistency was too thin. Henry Tarplin, 17, found it "mild, light, and creamy," while his sister Olivia, 14, found notes of butter. Does not need to be refrigerated before opening.

Horizon Organic Reduced Fat Milk

Serving Size: 8 fluid ounces
Calories: 120
Total Fat: 4.5 g
Cholesterol: 20 mg
Sugars: 12 g
Protein: 8 g
Calcium: 30% DV
Comments: William thought this milk was a little too thin and sweet-tasting, although there is no added sugar  Gabriel and Martin also found it sweeter than normal milk and gave it a thumbs-up ("like chocolate milk without the chocolate," said Martin). The Tarplin kids were not fans of this milk, but might have future careers in wine criticism: Olivia called it "bland, watery, and sad," while Henry dubbed it "bland, powdery, and insipid." Does not need to be refrigerated before opening.

Ronnybrook Low Fat Plain Milk

Serving Size: 8 fluid ounces
Calories: 100
Total Fat: 2.5 g
Cholesterol: 10 mg
Sugars: 11 g
Protein: 8 g
Calcium: 30% DV
Comments: We got this milk, a favorite among the editors here (one of us will go without milk before drinking anything else), to represent what might be available from your local dairy. Unfortunately, it soured somewhere in its journey from the farm to the store to the taste testers' houses, so we weren't able to give it a fair judgment. We've included it here as a lesson for ourselves and our readers: If you're transporting milk  in a lunchbox, say  be sure to freeze it or use an ice pack. Needs to be refrigerated.

Farmland Lil' Milk 2% Reduced Fat Chocolate Milk

Serving Size: 8 fluid ounces
Calories: 190
Total Fat: 5 g
Cholesterol: 20 mg
Sugars: 27 g
Protein: 8 g
Calcium: 30% DV
Comments: Henry and Martin both gave this milk high marks for chocolatey flavor, as did Olivia, who said "It tastes a bit fake, but I like it anyway." William, on the other hand, thought it was too sweet. Does not need to be refrigerated before opening.

Original EdenSoy Organic Soymilk

Serving Size: 8.45 fluid ounces
Calories: 145
Total Fat: 5 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sugars: 7 g
Protein: 11 g
Calcium: 10% DV
Comments: Gabriel and Martin thought EdenSoy's original soymilk tasted like regular milk, while the Steel boys found it rather flavorless. Henry disliked the powdery texture and grainlike flavor, and Olivia agreed with her brother, saying: "Yuck! It's watery, but with a strong grainy flavor. It tastes like hamster food." Does not need to be refrigerated before opening.

Organic EdenSoy Extra

Serving Size: 8.45 fluid ounces
Calories: 140
Total Fat: 4 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sugars: 7 g
Protein: 11 g
Calcium: 20% DV
Comments: This "Extra" version of EdenSoy's plain soymilk got better marks from the Steels, who said it tasted creamy and a little like regular cow's milk. Olivia found it powdery and "gross," Henry said it tasted like pancake mix, and Martin and Gabriel found it rather bland. It does have twice as much calcium as the original, though. Does not need to be refrigerated before opening.

Soy Dream Soymilk Original Enriched

Serving Size: 8 fluid ounces
Calories: 100
Total Fat: 4 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sugars: 4 g
Protein: 7 g
Calcium: 35% DV
Comments: This one packs a lot of calcium, which might account for the "grainyness" Henry complained of. Olivia thought it was "watery" and "funky," while the Steels thought it was creamy but flavorless. Does not need to be refrigerated before opening.

Oak Knoll Dairy 100% Goats' Milk

Serving Size: 16 fluid ounces (2 servings per container)
Calories: 150
Total Fat: 8 g
Cholesterol: 25 mg
Sugars: 12 g
Protein: 8 g
Comments: We threw this in for the Steel boys to try since they'd been such willing participants in other taste tests. We assumed no kids would really like goats' milk. We stand corrected. Sanger judged it "sweet and not really very goaty at all." Needs to be refrigerated.